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The
short-term rental platform's new rules limit hosts to
“reasonable” checkout requests beginning on Nov. 20. Guests can
still be asked to leave dishes in the sink, gather used towels
and sort trash and recycling, but hosts generally cannot require
chores typically handled by professional cleaners.
“Remember to think like a guest and keep in mind what you’d find
unreasonable,” Airbnb tells hosts in a video announcing the new
policy.
Checkout chores have been a recurring point of contention for
Airbnb guests, particularly when they’re also paying cleaning
fees. The company has previously acknowledged that those fees
can create different expectations between hosts and travelers.
Airbnb said exceptions may apply in certain circumstances, such
as requiring guests to put trash in animal-proof containers in
areas with bears.
Hosts must now also disclose all house rules and requests in a
designated section of their listing before guests book,
according to Airbnb. They can no longer add extra requirements
through messages, signs inside the property or other sections of
a listing.
As part of the changes, Airbnb said it is standardizing house
rules into seven categories, covering topics including overnight
guests, quiet hours, pets, smoking and whether guests must lock
up at checkout.
The changes build on Airbnb’s broader efforts to make booking a
rental more predictable for travelers. In 2023, CEO Brian Chesky
acknowledged that the variety of properties on Airbnb creates
uncertainty among guests.
“A lot of guests have described booking Airbnb, once they check
in, it’s a moment of truth. Is the house exactly what they
expected?” he told The Associated Press. “We don’t want this to
be a moment of truth. We want you to know exactly what you’re
going to get before you book.”
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